Tortilla del Sacromonte

Tortilla del Sacromonte is Granadina, from Granada in Andalucía, and the lamb brains and criadillas, lamb testicles, are what give it its name and character. Potato, peas and jamón make the filling generous, but the offal is not a flourish you can quietly leave out. This is old whole-animal cooking, rich, mild and much more delicate than its reputation suggests.

The method that decides it is the blanching. Bring the brains and criadillas up gently in separate pans, cool them, then cut them into small, even dice. Boil them hard and they tighten; put them into the egg in large wet pieces and the tortilla sets badly around them. Dry the dice, warm them briefly with the jamón and peas, and cook the finished tortilla until tender but no longer wet at the centre.

If lamb offal is difficult to find, veal brain and calf criadillas are also used in Granadan versions. They are larger and a little firmer, so cut them into 8mm dice and give them two extra minutes in the blanching water. Liver and sweetbreads make good food, but they do not make this tortilla. No hace falta haber pisado España. Buy inspected offal, weigh it, and follow the gentle heat. Siempre sale, si lo sigues.